Changing Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 2)

“I was trying to help,” she says innocently, but I can almost hear the mocking smile in her voice.

“It didn’t help,” he grumbles. “Stop encouraging him.”

As they playfully bicker, I take inventory of my shoulder. Shit. That’s nasty.

The flesh has been ripped away, and blood is spilling much too generously. Most immortals would already be passed out.

“You need blood,” Ella points out, looking at my shoulder. “And food. And rest.”

I don’t know if it’ll be fully healed before I go to pick up Roslyn, but it’d better look a hell of a lot better than this.

“Just get me back and patch me up. Someone can cover my shift while I try to sleep it off.”

She grabs my wrist, dematerializing us, and suddenly we’re walking through my house. Roslyn’s scent is everywhere, but I can tell she’s not here. I’m disappointed and relieved at the same time.

I’m not sure it’d be easy to explain being naked with Ella and bleeding from my shoulder. But at the same time, I’d love nothing more than for her to be here while I slept.

My smile kicks up when I think back to being in bed with her this morning. It was cute how she was smiling at me, even though she thought I was a lizard that had gotten trapped in the house.

I wanted to put my arms around her and hold her, but I also didn’t want to freak her out.

There will be time for more. Especially if I get Sierra to change her.

Chapter 8

ROSLYN

I really hate Wendy, and I haven’t even met her yet. She’s a slob. A weird, freaky, possibly cult-involved, inconsiderate slob.

My house is a wreck, and Thad will be here later. Does the girl own anything that isn’t just thrown around? And what sort of gothic, satanic shit is she into?

There are so many weird books, drawings, and freaky weapons scattered about that it’s seriously creeping me out.

“What is up with all this?” I ask Jenny, motioning to the knives and daggers.

“Oh,” she groans. “That’s my insane cousin believing in things like werewolves, vampires, and witches.”

She mocks clawed hands and makes a hissing noise that actually has me laughing.

“You’re not serious, are you?” I ask her.

“Very. Girl is fucking crazy. I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten, or I would have told my mother there was no way she could come here. Now I’m a little too scared to make her leave. She’ll be gone by Monday, though. Sorry about this.”

Jenny just apologized. Wow.

“So why does she believe in this?” I ask, flipping a page to see something labeled as a Spidress. A spidress is a creature who has spider-like attributes. Kill the queen, and you harm the entire swarm.

Spiders don’t swarm. And they have eight legs. Is she supposed to be the female equivalent to Spider Man?

Psycho.

“She found a book about our ‘heritage’ back when we were kids. Then she found a trunk of antique weaponry and some necklace. She swears that she can see things others can’t when she wears that necklace. I think she’s bat-shit crazy. She made me wear it once, and I didn’t see a damn thing besides a cute guy with a charming smile. She swore he had fangs and blue-glowing eyes. I told my parents she needed to be committed.”

I shudder. This freak is staying in our house? What if she assumes I’m one of her delusions? I think I’ll stay the hell away from her and all of her deadly, sharp objects.

“So…” Jenny lets her voice trail off, and I immediately tense, knowing what she’s about to say. “You didn’t come home last night. But you stopped in at the neighbor’s house. Are you two…”

Again, her voice trails off, but the meaning is clear.